Period:Qing dynasty Production date:19thC(late)
Materials:wood, white metal,
Technique:carved, inlaid,
Dimensions:Height: 20.50 centimetres Weight: 403 grammes Width: 21 centimetres Depth: 2.50 centimetres
Description:
Yoke made of wood and inlaid with white metal in auspicious designs including bats.
IMG
![图片[1]-yoke (harness) BM-As1910–.40-China Archive](https://chinaarchive.net/Qin dynasty/43/mid_00447748_001.jpg)
![图片[2]-yoke (harness) BM-As1910–.40-China Archive](https://chinaarchive.net/Qin dynasty/43/mid_00447749_001.jpg)
Comments:This yoke has been inlaid with auspicious designs including bats, fish, Chinese knots, coins and the ‘wanzi’ or swastika next to a ‘ruyi’ symbol (this is a type of fungus which can give immortality). Many of these designs are lucky because they deploy the rebus or visual pun. For example the word for bat ‘fu’ is pronounced in the same way as ‘fu’ meaning luckiness. The ‘wanzi’, or ‘wan’ character is a homophone for ten thousand ‘wan’, and so is associated with longevity. Such designs may have made a protective function, in this case to protect a beast of burden as well as to bring welfare and good fortune to the family to whom he belonged. It is very common in farming communities in China to talk about designs as being able to ‘bixie’ protect from negative forces including ghosts. The fish appear to be catfish which creates the rebus, niannian you yu–or year after year may there be abundance and because the fish adjoin the bats and the bats adjoin ruyi , it probably reads, “year after year may there be abundance and blessings as you wish. From comments by Jan Stuart 22/08/2008
Materials:wood, white metal,
Technique:carved, inlaid,
Dimensions:Height: 20.50 centimetres Weight: 403 grammes Width: 21 centimetres Depth: 2.50 centimetres
Description:
Yoke made of wood and inlaid with white metal in auspicious designs including bats.
IMG
Comments:This yoke has been inlaid with auspicious designs including bats, fish, Chinese knots, coins and the ‘wanzi’ or swastika next to a ‘ruyi’ symbol (this is a type of fungus which can give immortality). Many of these designs are lucky because they deploy the rebus or visual pun. For example the word for bat ‘fu’ is pronounced in the same way as ‘fu’ meaning luckiness. The ‘wanzi’, or ‘wan’ character is a homophone for ten thousand ‘wan’, and so is associated with longevity. Such designs may have made a protective function, in this case to protect a beast of burden as well as to bring welfare and good fortune to the family to whom he belonged. It is very common in farming communities in China to talk about designs as being able to ‘bixie’ protect from negative forces including ghosts. The fish appear to be catfish which creates the rebus, niannian you yu–or year after year may there be abundance and because the fish adjoin the bats and the bats adjoin ruyi , it probably reads, “year after year may there be abundance and blessings as you wish. From comments by Jan Stuart 22/08/2008
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![[Qing Dynasty] British female painter—Elizabeth Keith, using woodblock prints to record China from the late Qing Dynasty to the early Republic of China—1915-China Archive](https://chinaarchive.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/image-191x300.png)
